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BY NEIL LEVENS



Isis >> Wavering Radiant
Proving once again that they stand out amongst a handful of trend-setters in the post-rock genre, Isis have created probably their densest and most explorative work to date this year. Focused and powerful musicianship more than makes up for a less-then-inspiring production and the band feels tighter than on any of their previous albums. If your dreams have an aggressive beauty to them, this might be your soundtrack.

Preview & purchase album from Other Music




Tomas Dvorak >> Machinarium (Soundtrack)
The soundtrack music for Machinarium, an independant flesh game by Czech developers at Amanita Design, is probably one of the most fresh pieces of electronic music you'll hear this year. Confined to no genre and encompassing every mood, there's something charming and infectious about this little aural oddity that will please almost any palette. While you're looking, you can find its companion EP on Amanita's website, which contains the profoundly beautiful "By The Wall".

Read the Groovemine review




Irepress  >> Sol Eye Sea I
Boston instrumentalists Irepress further expand on their dreamy, liquid intensity with this strong sophomore effort. While trading in some of the more beautiful clean passages that made their first album a wonder to digest for heavy riffing, the band keeps their attitude of almost childlike energy which makes for a fun but challenging piece of music.




Rapoon >> Dark Rivers
Robin Storey, the ambient wizard behind Rapoon, has provided a strong entry into his already respectable catalog this year and done a very challenging feat for many talented ambient artists: injected a strong rhythmic sense that stays in his own realm. Storey keeps his production level high once again by settling sounds into the realm of raw, organic experimentation instead of glossy sound design. While the smeared arrangements might tempt you to put them in the background, they tend to reward the careful listener. 

Preview & purchase album from eMusic (subscribe and get 25 FREE downloads)




Nine Inch Nails >> Another Version of the Truth (The Gift)
While this may the black sheep in any indie afficianados list, this release by radio friendly industrialist Trent Reznor deserves attention from the DIY crowd for its attitude and its release. The idea? Release two live shows for the fans to mix, arrange, and release themselves with the band keeping their hands (and more importantly, their wallets) out of it. The result? Over two hours of professional grade live material that stands as a legacy to two decades of NIN and the new frontier of artists and fans becoming one creative force. Even if you're not a fan of the band, the ideology is worth a peek.



MORE OF THE BEST....
> Best of 2009 main page
> Alec Brinegar's Top Nine Albums of 2009
> Lukas Clark-Memler's Top Five Albums and Top Five Album Covers of 2009
> Raymond Chalmé's Top Ten Music Moments of 2009
> Sam Houghton's Top Five Albums of 2009